From Oppression to Redemption: A Reexamination of Illuminated Sephardic Haggadot in Thirteenthand Fourteenth-Century Spain

From Oppression to Redemption: A Reexamination of Illuminated Sephardic Haggadot in Thirteenthand Fourteenth-Century Spain

Author:

Chianello, Maria K.

Abstract:

This thesis examines the scholarship of one era of Jewish history, thirteenth- and
fourteenth-century Spain, through the lens of the illuminated Haggadot that were
produced during that period. This type of Haggadah, beautifully decorated with
narrative biblical scenes and non-narrative decoration, did not exist as an independent
book, with or without illuminations, before the thirteenth century, despite its significant
role in the family Passover seder. Scholars seek to understand the circumstances in
thirteenth- and fourteenth-century Spain that prompted Jewish patrons to commission
these expensive books. Past scholarship traces the iconographic and stylistic sources of
the imagery in the illuminated Sephardic Haggadot but does not consider the social,
political, theological, or cultural context of these manuscripts, nor the meaningful story
they have to tell about Jewish culture from this period. However, three recent scholars,
Katrin Kogman-Appel, Marc Michael Epstein, and Michael Batterman, do examine the
illuminated Spanish Haggadot, in part, as sources of cultural and historical information.
The present study summarizes and critiques their recent works to assess how
successfully their approaches expand our understanding of these unique manuscripts
and the medieval Spanish culture in which they were produced. My thesis concludes by
setting forth avenues of approach that deserve more attention in the analysis of the
illuminated Sephardic Haggadot. The impact of anti-Semitism in thirteenth- and
fourteenth-century Spain on the production of illuminated Haggadot is particularly
crucial to unlocking their mysteries. The situation for Jews in this period was
precarious; taking into account the anti-Jewish laws, propaganda, and works of art as
well as the Christian populace’s hatred of Jews is necessary to unveiling the specific
agendas of the patrons who commissioned the illuminated Haggadot. Only with a fresh
outlook on Jewish art scholarship and a thorough analysis of each Haggadah in its
historical and cultural contexts can scholars begin to understand the appearance and
disappearance of the illuminated Haggadot from medieval Spain.

Description:

148 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Art History and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2012.